Asia Talent Cup – 11 Aussies in 127 riders vying for 22 places
The selection process to find the 22 riders who will compete in the 2018 edition of the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup has reached a new and exciting phase, with 127 candidates who will take place in the Selection Event now shortlisted.
After the registration phase drew to a close on 13th August, with more than 500 applicants registered, the selection committee have compiled a shortlist of successful candidates who will take part in the Selection Event following a thorough analysis and review of each rider application.
The committee, headed by Talent Promotion Director Alberto Puig, have identified the 127 riders who will be invited to take part in the Selection Event.
This event is scheduled to take place at the Sepang International Circuit on the 24th and 25th October, ahead of the last race of the current season of the Asia Talent Cup, which also takes place at the Malaysian venue near Kuala Lumpur.
As in 2017, the Selection Event will take place over one day on Wednesday 25th October. However, riders will be asked to make all administrative processes on Tuesday 24th October.
During that day, each applicant must demonstrate their skills and ability riding a Honda bike at the Sepang Karting Circuit. Subsequently, the selection committee will meet again to analyse all the data and ultimately determine the final riders chosen to participate in the 2018 edition of the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup.
Communication for the 2018 selection process began on the 24th June and the registration period ran from 8th July to 13th August. During this period, an intensive communications campaign also took place, with the collaboration of the main Asian circuits, federations, motorcycle riding schools and additional partners and companies.
Applications have been registered from riders in many countries across the region and while some countries failed to have a rider make it through to the next phase of the selection process, the following countries are all represented.
- Australia (11)
- Bangladesh (1)
- China (5)
- India (3)
- Iran (1)
- Israel (1)
- Indonesia (30)
- Japan (26)
- Malaysia (30)
- Nepal (1)
- New Zealand (2)
- Philippines (2)
- Qatar (2)
- Singapore (1)
- Sri Lanka (2)
- Thailand (6)
- Turkey (2)
- Vietnam (1)
The 11 Australian youngsters invited to take part in the next phase of the selection process at Sepang on the 24th and 25th October are listed below. The two NZ riders to make the cut are some of the oldest in the field, with both Joshua Goddard and Jacob Stroud aged 18.
- Senna Agius 12
- Benjamin Baker 12
- Oliver Bayliss 13
- Thomas Brown 12
- Seth Crump 14
- Ned Faulkhead 15
- Jack Mahaffy 16
- Jordan Simpson 14
- Mitchell Simpson 17
- Connor Spinks 15
- Billy Van Eerde 15
